English Literature - MA/PgD/PgC

Course Overview

CourseOverview

The MA English Literature is a rewarding taught degree offering an exhilarating analysis of English Literature using texts from the 'long nineteenth century' to the present day.​

The degree focuses on historic and contemporary textual representations of place, theorising cultural representations and practices of location, space, history and textuality, and the effect of these on constructions of identity. Where possible, the modules encourage you to explore interdisciplinary boundaries and texts.

The MA is taught by published researchers and writers. The course is aimed to support you while you develop and hone your critical writing and research skills, particularly in relation to literature that addresses history, place and space. You can take our MA for professional development purposes, in order to enhance your career and to increase your employability in the arts and heritage sectors. The MA will also help you specialise in the areas of contemporary and historical literature in relation to place and space in order to pave the way for doctoral study.

We have expertise across a number of fields and our academic community is vibrant and dynamic with strong industry links.

One of the great strengths of the programme is its flexibility. MA English Literature can be studied either full or part time. Modules can be taken individually, allowing you to control the pace and depth of your postgraduate study. Programme delivery is enhanced by the university’s commitment to e-learning​.

​Course Content​​

All of our modules are core and are delivered over one year full time or two years part time. Term 1

Researching Humanities Researching Humanities will introduce you to research methods at MA level. The module provides a thorough breakdown of research methods across the fields of Creative Writing and English Literature. This module is taught across all of our MA Creative Writing and English Literature pathways and it is also a great opportunity for you to get to know your peers.

New & Experimental Writing In
New and Experimental Writing you will encounter a range of transgressive texts from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Starting with the avant-garde, the module proceeds chronologically to the contemporary. We interrogate what it means to transgress aesthetic norms at various points in time and take into consideration historical and cultural context to consider whether there might be a connection between the challenging of literary and social standards. You will be able to approach these texts via a number of methodologies, including theoretical and creative.

Literature and Landscapes In Literature and Landscapes, you’ll examine artistic and literary representations of landscape, and engage with the complex social, cultural and aesthetic factors that contribute to the formation of identity. The module provides a comparative foundation from which you’ll consider representations of the urban encountered in Writing the City.

Term 2

Representing ‘the Past’ In Representing 'the Past', you will consider how we interpret 'the past' within a cultural context. Looking at both textual and extra-textual appropriations, and by showing how meanings of 'the past' are contested at any one time, you will consider how certain interpretations are naturalised and legitimated within culture.

Writing the CityIn Writing the City you'll explore representations of urban space through set texts and in your own creative writing. In this module you’ll examine texts that explore the urban in literary fiction, particularly throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Critical Practice Critical Practiceprepares you for your dissertation through which you'll be able to submit a substantial body of creative work along with a contextualising critical commentary.

Dissertation The
Dissertation module is your opportunity to create a portfolio of writing, such as a collection of short stories or an excerpt of a novel that you are working on. The creative work will be accompanied by a critical reflection in which you contextualise your writing within a critical framework and with reference to other texts. ​

Learning & Teaching​

​Most modules are taught through group workshops and seminars. Some modules will also include individual tutorials and the dissertation module is delivered entirely through one-to-one tutorials with your supervisor.

In workshops and seminars full use is made of University technology and course materials will be delivered and stored through our Virtual Learning Environment. It will be possible for you to access the Virtual Learning Environment remotely and you will be encouraged to do so.

Most modules are 20 or 30 credits although we also have a 10-credit module and the dissertation is worth 60 credits.

In a 10-credit module you will receive 11 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 89 hours of independent study. In a 20-credit module you will receive 22 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 178 hours of independent study. In a 30-credit module you will receive 33 hours of timetabled teaching and you will be expected to conduct 267 hours of independent study. The 60-credit dissertation is mainly conducted with independent study. You will receive 6 hours of tutorial supervision (this includes supervisors looking over your work) and you will be expected to conduct 594 hours of independent study.

Each student is appointed a personal tutor who will be available for academic advice, pastoral support and personal development planning. Tutors also have weekly office hours.

A critical but supportive environment is achieved through a combination of workshops, research seminars and e-learning. You will be introduced to the practicalities of preparing and submitting your work for possible publication.
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Assessment

We have a variety of approaches to assessment across the programme depending upon the module.

In some modules (Writing the City) you can choose your method of assessment (creative portfolio and critical reflection, or essay, for example). In other modules (Literature and Landscapes) you will be asked to produce an essay.

Modules also make use of Virtual Learning Environments for assessments and you may be asked to view material online and then to respond to it (Representing ‘the Past’).

You will receive tutor support in class and through our VLE in order to prepare you for each assessment point. We also have library facilities online and at campus.

Employability & Careers​

The MA is also a great choice for those wishing to enhance their employment and professional opportunities in the arts or heritage sectors. The programme is suitable for those who are teachers of English Literature at ‘A’ Level or GCSE and would like to enhance their expertise for professional development purposes.

The course also prepares you for further study at PhD level at Cardiff Metropolitan University and beyond.

This degree will encourage you to develop the valuable transferable skills of autonomy, effective collaboration, self-direction, organisation, initiative and adaptability that are highly regarded in the workplace. A Master's degree in English Literature may lead to a variety of careers which include the particularly relevant areas of teaching, research, journalism, public relations, the Civil Service, publishing, the media, and employment in the public or voluntary sectors.

Entry Requirements​ & How to Apply

Applicants should usually have a first or upper second-class honours degree, in a relevant subject. Students that meet the criteria will be invited for interviews..

Selection Procedure: Application form, CV, submission of a writing portfolio containing an example of your critical writing (such as an undergraduate essay) and interview (the interview can be conducted via Skype or telephone).

How to Apply: Applications for this course should be made direct to the university via our self-service facility. For further information please visit our How to Apply pages at
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply.

Key Facts

Place of Study: Cardiff School of Education Cyncoed Campus

Course Length: 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

If you wish, you can simply take individual modules (perhaps just one, or more, depending on your interest)

If you wish to go further, you might choose to complete a Postgraduate Certificate (three modules chosen from a postgraduate programme)

Further still, you might wish to undertake a Postgraduate Diploma (six modules from one of our programmes)

Or you might wish to go for a Master's Degree, submitting a dissertation after completing the six taught modules. It's completely up to you.

All options are taught either full or part time. All teaching is done in the evening, full time on Mondays and Wednesdays, part time just one evening a week.

International Applicants: Before making an application, international students (those outside of the EU), should contact the International Office at Cardiff Met to discuss the necessary procedures in relation to studying with us. For further information visit
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/international.

Tuition Fees and Financial Support:For up to date information on tuition fees and the financial support that may be available. Please refer to
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/fees.

Generally we find most students will complete 60 credits per year for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate study; to obtain a true costing please clarify this by contacting the Programme Director directly.

Postgraduate Scholarships: The university also offers a postgraduate scholarship scheme to help students whilst at university. To see if you are eligible, visit
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/scholarships.